


Vault Life

by tinykats



Category: Fallout 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-18 21:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4721204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinykats/pseuds/tinykats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James adjusting to his new life in the Vault, and his duties as a father to Kyra. An exploration into Vault life that the game didn't cover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Month

James sat back at his desk, exhaling. He had only been in Vault 101 for a month, and already the work was piling up. The Vaults previous lack of a doctor had taken its toll on the health of the dwellers, and his schedule was completely booked. In a way, he was glad for the work. It kept him busy, and kept his mind off of everything that had happened. Still, it was exhausting, especially since he was so mentally drained.

He pushed away from his desk, closing out the report he had been typing up, and rubbed at his eyes. A glance at his Pip-Boy told him it was 1:30 AM, which meant he had about five hours to sleep. Less if the baby woke up. His daughter wasn’t a very sound sleeper, which was another reason he was so exhausted.

James retreated from his office, hanging his lab coat on the back of the desk chair as he left. He punched in the code for the doors behind him, making sure the small apartment was locked up. The police patrolled the corridors of the Vault at night, but he still wasn’t sure he trusted them. Not many of the families in the Vault had been welcoming to James and his daughter, Kyra, when they arrived. Even the Overseer had wished to turn them away; it was his wife, Kendra, who convinced him to open the doors.

Kendra Almodovar had proven an ally over the past month, from helping him get settled to watching Kyra on days he was overrun with work, and James was grateful for her support. There were fewer and fewer dark looks aimed his way in the halls of the Vault these days, and James suspected it was due to Kendra’s influence. Still, he wasn’t complaining. Although loath to admit it, he could use a few friends in the Vault.

 

James entered his bedroom with a sigh, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed. Next to his bed sat a baby crib, his sleeping daughter nestled inside. Despite his exhaustion, he stood, looking into Kyra’s crib.

Kyra lay sprawled on her back, her short red hair messy from tossing and turning. She had kicked the blankets aside in her fitful sleep, and James moved to tuck them back over her, being as gentle as he could. She stirred, and James froze, hand still on the blanket. For such a young one, she was an incredibly light sleeper. After a moment, though, her breathing slowed again, and he sighed in relief. Thank god. James paused only to smooth her hair before sitting back down, still looking at her crib. He knew that he should take the chance to sleep while he could, but looking at his daughter reminded him so much of Catherine.

Catherine. God, he missed Catherine. He let his head fall into his hands, rubbing his temples. It had been a little over month since she died, but the aching in his chest when he thought about her hadn’t gone away. He doubted it ever would. His wife was gone, and she was never coming back.

\---

James jerked awake, bleary-eyed. He sat up with a small groan; the clock read 5:15, and Kyra was screeching at the top of her lungs. He forced himself to his feet and bent over her crib, scooping her up. She quieted a little at his touch, but continued to wail into his shoulder. He sighed, rubbing her back and bouncing her in his arms as he started for the kitchen.

“Shh, sweetheart, shhhhhhh. It’s alright now, I’ve got you, Daddy’s got you,” he soothed, kissing the top of her head. He shifted her to one arm to take a bottle out of the refrigerator, turning on the warmer and placing it inside. Kyra’s cries were dying down, but she snuffled into his shoulder, and he could feel her tears against his sleeve.

“Shh, you’re safe now. No more monsters, no more nightmares. Shhhhhh,” James continued, patting her back as she quieted.

“That’s it. Daddy’s got you,” he exhaled as the small body in his arms stilled, Kyra going quiet.

“That’s my girl,” James smiled. Usually her fits lasted much longer. He had come to the conclusion that she had nightmares; mostly because he had no idea why else she would wake up shrieking all the time. Maybe she was growing out of them. One could only hope.

James shifted Kyra to the crook of his arm, picking the bottle back up from the warmer as it dinged. She blinked at him as he moved her, feebly reaching up for at him, and he smiled down at her.

“I’m right here, honey. Daddy’s right here.” He sat down, offering her the bottle. She blinked again before reaching for it, sucking on the end. It always took a bit of prompting to get her to eat, but she was getting the hang of it.

“There we go, that’s it,” James cooed, encouraging her. Kyra only got about halfway through the bottle before she turned her head, whimpering.

“Are you done? Alright, alright, we can save the rest for later.” He took the bottle from her, setting it down on the table.

“Now, maybe we can both go to sleep for a while before Daddy has to work, okay?”


	2. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyra's first birthday, celebrated in the Vault.

“Come on, sweetheart. Walk to Daddy.”James knelt down, putting himself on Kyra’s level, and held out his arms. The little girl eyed him warily, standing on unsteady legs. At her father’s coaxing, Kyra took a hesitant step forwards, stumbling.

“That’s it, that’s my girl,” he crooned, scooping her up once she was within reach. “My goodness, just a year old and already walking like a pro. Your mother would have been so proud.”

Kyra stayed silent, looking up at him, but clutched at his sleeves. She was a quiet child, so quiet she sometimes worried James. Her night tantrums had stopped, thank goodness, but it seemed to him that she had swung from one extreme to another, barely making noises at all. He almost preferred her screaming in the middle of the night and waking him to her waking up silently and looking at him until he got up. Around others, it was even worse. She would make noises sometimes at home, if James was with her, but around the other dwellers she completely clammed up. Even Kendra Almodovar, who had been helping take care of her almost since she was born, had to work to get a gurgle or a coo out of Kyra.

Standing, James walked back over to the playpen, setting Kyra down and gently loosening her grip on his sleeves. She made the smallest noise of protest, looking up at him as he straightened back up.

“I know you don’t like it when Daddy leaves you alone, but I need you to take care of yourself for a minute. You just stay here while Daddy runs to his office,” he assured her,closing the playpen gate. “You’ll be okay, sweetie, I’ll be back in a bit.”

 

 

He left with only a glance back, exhaling and quickening his pace as the door shut behind him. All he needed to do was check in with Jonas and grab some paperwork to take home with him. He technically had the day off, as it was Kyra’s birthday, but the Overseer had hinted to him that there was work to be done. James knew that Alphonse was mostly concerned for his wife, especially since the birth of their daughter Amata. Kendra had always been of somewhat fragile health, and although she cheerfully denied it, she had been on a decline since giving birth. Pregnancy had taken its toll on her, and it reminded James a little too much of Catherine’s sudden deterioration.

He glanced at Jonas as he entered the clinic; the latter was examining Stanley Armstrong, but smiled at James, giving him a half wave. James smiled in return before heading to his desk, logging into the terminal. A few file transfers later, and he had everything he needed to finish his work.

“Hey, Doc. How’s the birthday girl?” Jonas grinned, coming into the office. The Palmer family was one of the first to be won over by Kendra’s talk, and consequentially was the family closest to James. He and Jonas had hit it off immediately, and even the Overseer had to admit that the two made a good team. The fact that he adored Kyra didn’t hurt, either.

  
“Ah, she’s doing well. She was walking earlier today,” James smiled, feeling a twinge of guilt at leaving his daughter alone in their apartment.

“Atta girl,” Jonas chuckled. “Ky knows what she’s doing. Is there anything special going on for her birthday? Kendra had an appointment earlier, actually, and I know she was excited. She mentioned bringing Amata by—“

“I think Kyra would like that,” James interjected, standing. “I should be getting back, though. Technically, it’s my day off, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jonas smirked, rolling his eyes. “Tell the birthday girl I said hi, will ya?”

“Of course,” James smiled. After bidding Jonas farewell, he started back towards his quarters, almost running. He was beginning to get more anxious about having left Kyra alone, and let out a sigh of relief once he was back in the apartment. Now, where was she—

 

  
“You are quite the little explorer, aren’t you?” James laughed. “Serves me right for trying to pen you in.” Kyra was seated near her toybox, clutching a ragged stuffed bear, and looked at him as the door opened. She made a noise, dropping the bear to hold her arms up, and her father obliged, scooping Kyra into his lap.

“I told you I would be right back, didn’t I? And here I am,” James smiled, ruffling her hair. “I was talking to Jonas, and he wished you a happy birthday.” Kyra smiled at him; she had learned to recognize Jonas’s name, even if she didn’t quite know what else James was saying. James smiled back at her, but felt his heart twinge. Her smiling face, even now, reminded him of Catherine’s.

It was the one year anniversary of her death, but living without her hadn’t gotten any easier. Most of the time, he was able to try and put her from his mind by busying himself with work, but he was never successful. She was always there, an ache in the back of his mind and his heart.

James caught sight of the framed cross-stitch and paused, expression softening. Kyra, noticing the change, reached for his face and patted his cheek. He smiled at her, but it was sadder than before, and he shifted her in his arms.

“See that?” He pointed to the frame, and Kyra’s attention shifted. “That was your mothers’ favorite passage. It’s from the Bible. Revelation 21:6.” He read the quote from memory, not needing to look at the frame, and saw Kyra look back at him as well. She studied his expression as he cleared his throat, forcing a smile for his daughter.

“She always loved that,” James added, his tone softer. He straightened back up, perching Kyra on his hip. She stared at him with such intensity that he smiled, touching the tip of her nose to make her giggle.

“Come on, birthday girl, let’s go see if your little friend Amata wants to play.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was based mostly on in-game events, but future chapters won't rely on them as heavily. Updates probably won't also always be this frequent, I've just been in the mood to write about these guys :)


	3. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flu sweeps through the Vault

James started towards his office, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was 5:00 AM, but ever since the flu outbreak in the Vault had started the week before he had been working nonstop. Even this early in the morning, his terminal was blinking with unread messages, and he sighed as he sat down.

Thankfully for him, Jonas’s grandmother had agreed to stay at the house with Kyra for a few days until the commotion died down. Usually the Almodovar’s kept an eye on her, but Kendra Almodovar had caught one of the worst cases of the flu, and was bedridden. Given that her health hadn’t been the best to begin with, the Vault was worried. Jonas had been tasked with caring for those who couldn’t physically come into the clinic, and was trying to be optimistic about her condition, but James wasn’t so sure.

It was about half an hour later when the PA system on the wall above James’s desk beeped. He hit the speakers button, sighing.

“What is it, Jonas.”

“…Daddy?” James blinked, giving the intercom a double-take. That certainly wasn’t Jonas.

“Kyra? Sweetheart, what are you doing awake? It’s very early—“ He could hear her sniffling through the speaker, and his heart sank. Oh, no.

“I woke up, an’ you were gone, an’ I didn’t wanna wake up G’ma Palmer,” she hiccupped. James exhaled, looking from the intercom to still-blinking terminal on his desk. As much as he wanted to rush back to the apartment for her, he knew that he couldn’t.

“Daddy’s at work, honey. I’m sorry you woke up—why don’t you go back to sleep for a while, okay? I’ll be home as soon as I can, I promise. Ms. Palmer’s there if you need her. I’m sure she won’t mind if you wake her up,” James soothed, trying to reassure her. He could still hear her sniffling on the other end of the line, and it was breaking his heart. “She’s there for you, remember? She won’t mind.” He glanced at the door of the clinic as it opened; uh oh.

“Kyra, sweetie, I have to go now. Go back to sleep, okay? I love you.” He waited for a moment, but she just made a noise of agreement and hung up. He sighed, looking back up as Jonas came into his office.

“What is it, Jonas?”

“Hey, Doc, I know it’s early, but—Kendra isn’t doing well. The Overseer wanted you on the job, not me, since you have more experience, and, y’know, it’s his wife—“ James sighed, standing and going to get his bag.

“I understand. We can switch duties for today, that’s fine. I’ll head to the Almodovar’s apartment right away,” James promised, packing his bag with the needed supplies. Being out and about meant that he might be able to stop by his apartment and check in on Kyra. He paused before he left, though, glancing back at Jonas.

“How bad is she today?”

Jonas hesitated, but ended up just shaking his head. “Not—pretty bad, Doc.” James sighed; that was what he feared.

“Alright. I’ll do what I can. Thank you, Jonas.” He started to the Almodovar’s apartment, bracing himself for Kendra’s condition.

 

\---

 

At lunchtime, James managed to slip away from his duties, heading back to his apartment. He hadn’t heard from Old Lady Palmer today, which made him a bit anxious. She was usually good at checking up with him when she got up in the morning, but she also would have told him if anything went wrong, right? Maybe no news was good news?

Either way, he was glad to be home, even for a little while. When he opened the door, though, he paused. Neither Kyra nor Ms. Palmer was in the main room. Hm.

“Hello?” he called, setting his bag down at the door. The door to Kyra’s room opened and Ms. Palmer came out, a strained smile on her face.

“James! I didn’t expect you back today--the little one’s just lying down. She had a bit of a rough night, the poor dear,” she continued, lowering her voice and glancing back into Kyra’s bedroom. “She didn’t say a word today, you know. She’ll be happy you’re here, but I don’t know about waking her—“

“I’ll get her,” James sighed, taking a step forward. “Why don’t you go get lunch? I can stay here until you get back, and I know Jonas is on break.” Her face lit up; James knew that she loved spending time with her only remaining family member.

“That would be lovely—I’ll go down and get us both lunch. I can bring something back for you and the little one, too,” she added, starting for the door with a smile. James nodded, smiling in return.

He waited until she had left before he went into his daughter’s bedroom, sitting down beside her bed. There was a chair pulled up; Ms. Palmer must have been reading to her. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he leaned to tuck Kyra’s blankets back over her. She had kicked them off in her sleep again, hair splayed across her pillow where she was cuddled up to her old stuffed bear. James smoothed her hair back from his face, noticing with a twinge of alarm that she was quite warm. It was hard to tell if she was flushed in the dim lighting from the doorway, though.

Kyra stirred underneath his hand, squinting. He smiled despite his growing worry, stroking her hair.

“Hi, sweetheart,” James said softly. “It’s just me, baby girl. It’s just Daddy.” She made a mumbling noise at him, but stayed silent, reaching to hold his hand.

“I’ve got you, honey, I’m right here,” he soothed, taking her small hand in his own. She was definitely having a quiet day.

Kyra had always been a bit off when it came to speaking. She didn’t start talking until she was almost three years old, and even then she would only speak around certain people at certain times. James had checked and rechecked her throat, and there was nothing wrong with her vocal cords; she just refused sometimes. Jonas had coined the term ‘word limit’ to describe it, and it fit pretty well. After a certain amount of words, Kyra sometimes just stopped talking. It worried her father to no end, but Jonas and his grandmother assured him that it wasn’t a big deal. Ms. Palmer claimed to have known a girl who never spoke a word to her in her life, but the two had been fantastic friends. And it was true that Amata didn’t mind Kyra’s silence; the two got along very well. Still, James was concerned.

Right now, though, he didn’t care about her silence, pressing his free hand to Kyra’s forehead. She did feel very warm.

“Sweetheart, are you feeling okay?” he asked, brushing her hair back again. Kyra mumbled something, too quiet for him to catch, and he knelt down next to her bed.

“Kyraaaa,” James crooned, rubbing her back. She peeked up at him from where her face was buried in her teddy bear, silently questioning.

“What’s the matter?” he asked gently, still rubbing her back. She let go of her bear to reach for him, and he pulled her into his arms. He could feel her snuffle into his shoulder, and he kissed the side of her head.

“It’s alright, Daddy’s got you,” he soothed, waiting for her to speak. She stayed silent for a long moment before speaking.

“I don’ feel good,” Kyra mumbled, arms tightening around his neck. James stood, keeping her tucked to his chest. That was what he had been afraid of. She was getting sick.

“Alright, baby girl, alright. Let’s go get you fixed up, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to add more to this chapter but it felt like itwas getting pretty long, so there won't be a large timeskip between this and the next! Also a big thanks to everyone who left a kudos!!  
> And yes, my Lone Wanderer is selectively mute. Trying to write her that way as best I can, but again, constructive criticism is welcome :)

**Author's Note:**

> First of however many chapters to go into more detail about what Vault life may have been like for James and his child. This is my first time posting anything, please be gentle, but constructive criticism is appreciated!


End file.
